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MACOMB, Ill. -- What had already become a long season took another turn on Saturday for the IUPUI women's basketball team.  With a 61-50 loss to Western Illinois on Waste Management Court at Western Hall, the Jaguars tied the school record for losses in a season with their 21^st.

The loss matched the school record set by the 2003-04 and 2004-05 Jaguars; the 2005-06 Jags posted one of the nation's top turnarounds, recording 17 wins the following year.

Kerah Nelson led IUPUI (2-21, 1-11 Summit) with 20 points, just one shy of her career high.  16 of those points came in the second half, as the Jaguars attempted to whittle down what was an 18-point deficit to just 10 points with just over eight minutes to go.

However, turnovers, as they have all season, plagued the Jaguars despite their strong defense.  12 second-half miscues helped stymie the IUPUI offense, helping Western Illinois (8-15, 4-8 Summit) hold off the Jags.

For the 11th time this season, the Jaguars opened the first half with under 20 points, putting themselves in a hole from the start.  A brief 4-3 lead was quickly erased by the Fighting Leathernecks, who used a 14-5 spurt midway through the first half to take control of the game.

After a Farren Stackhouse layup brought the Jaguars within 9-8, Western Illinois countered with an Anneloes Kodde three, setting the Leathernecks on their way.  Barton's second three-pointer of the stretch capped the WIU run, giving Western a seven-point advantage.

Though a Mariah Fleming three-pointer with 11 ticks left in the first half brought IUPUI within eight, Jordon O'Brien countered with a jumper at the horn, sending Western Illinois into the locker room up 10.

The Jaguars did not help themselves in the first five minutes of the final frame, allowing the Fighting Leathernecks to open the half on a 10-2 run, putting IUPUI down 18 with 15 minutes to play. 

However, led by Nelson, the Jags clawed back as Nelson and Elizabeth Mercer scored IUPUI's next 10 points to bring the team within 10, 46-36, with eight minutes left in the contest.  

Stackhouse countered a Barton three with a jumper of her own to keep the Jaguars with 11, but the Leathernecks broke the game open with a 12-3 run, putting the contest away.

Nelson was IUPUI's lone scorer in double figures, while Mercer, Stackhouse, Janna Eichelberger and Clara Mitchell each finished with 6.  Barton led Western Illinois with 15 off the bench, sparked by a 3-for-4 effort from three-point range.

The Jaguars currently trail Southern Utah by 3.5 games for the final spot in The Summit League Tournament with six contests remaining; IUPUI sits three game back of Western Illinois but does not hold the tiebreaker.

IUPUI will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 13, when they head to Tulsa, Okla., for a meeting with Oral Roberts.  Tip-off from the Mabee Center is scheduled for 2:05 CT (3:05 ET), with Scott Taylor on the call on IUPUIJags.com.